Sunday, March 15, 2015

I was raised Catholic. Loosely raised, to say the very least, but Catholic all the same. I went through all the sacraments from baptism to confirmation. I was wed in a traditional Catholic ceremony. So how did I end up here, 20 years later, practicing Wicca?

When we are raised in the religious beliefs of our families, there is a gradual acceptance of what our beliefs should be. Our parents may take us to church, as was true for me. We were taught about prayer, about God, most often, from a monotheistic perspective. Our concept of whether we are spiritually fulfilled was more or less taken for granted. We settled comfortably into the religious path chosen for us by our family. What more can we ask for?

It's when those things, no matter how devout we are in our practices, don't meet our spiritual needs that we are thrown out of balance. We may not even realize that this is the "something missing" from our lives.

Still, those beliefs that were handed down as part of our families heritage may be the hardest to leave behind, no matter how unfulfilled by them we may feel. We may not have a problem with the religion we practice or the Deities we worship, per se. We may feel a sense of loyalty and affection for them and yet, we feel overwhelmingly drawn to something that we can't quite explain. For me, that something was Witchcraft.

That is not to say that this transition was an easy one. I viewed my own "seeking" with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. It's a strange feeling to be both absolutely certain and yet conflicted all at the same time. Then there are the questions, "Don't you believe in God?", "Don't you love Jesus Christ? These didn't only come from others, but from my conscience as well. At that time, there were no clearly defined answers. Yes, I believe in a Universal Divine, that is neither male or female, but has aspects of both. Yes, I have a deep affection and respect for Jesus Christ and his teachings, but that has absolutely nothing to do with Christianity. I felt as if I was being "unfaithful" to my faith. Holy crap! I was breaking #7 of the Ten Commandments!

Then I got over it :)

It happened one day as I grappled with these internal questions and conflicts. I asked for guidance, although, I wasn't entirely sure whom I was asking. I was late driving to work that morning and as I rushed from my car, I noticed something on the pavement near the door. I didn't really have time to investigate further and had forgotten all about it as I began my day. Later, as I approached my car, I realized it was still there. It was a small black velvet mojo bag. I picked it up and inside was a square silver medallion with the Triquetra embossed on it.

The Triquetra is a Celtic symbol that predates Christianity, but has been used by Christians to represent the Holy Trinity. In Neopaganism, it is used to represent the Triple Goddess; Maiden, Mother and Crone. It also is a symbol of life, death and rebirth.

I felt as though I'd found my answer. Until this writing, I never realized how accurate a message that was.

Having had a passion for root working for quite a while, I rely heavily on the Christian Saints, the Psalms and the Bible in my work. As I become more connected with these practices, I realize the endless possibilities that the Deities offer us, in whatever form they take, when we don't limit them based on our preconceived notions what we can or can not believe. While the Triquetra is considered a "knot", for me it's a symbol of life coming full circle.

Merry Meet!

I am a witchcraft practicing, conjure working, Full Moon worshipping daughter of the Arts.
I have been interested in Witchery for as long as I can remember. As a child, when I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was, "a Witch." The musing of a child?
I have been practicing for about 20 years, give or take a year and a day. I am a 2* Initiate in British Tradition Gardnerian Wicca.
We teach a training group in Gardnerian Wicca and can be found on Witchvox is "Circle of the Ancient Ways".
I am also a Okuden level, Jikiden Reiki practitioner, a Reiki Master/Teacher in Usui System of Natural Healing. I have had training as an End of Life doula.
In the mundane World, I am a Surgical Coordinator, wife and mother.